Looking for that perfect perennial or need some expert garden advice? Have you driven by the Stevens-Coolidge Place on Andover Street and wondered what the historic 91-acre property is all about?
The Stevens-Coolidge Place is known for its gardens, and much of what is planted there was taken from historical records of the estate. On May 10, the estate's 26th annual plant sale will allow gardeners to buy plants — some actually grown on the estate — which, in turn, will help support the place.
Folks can buy peonies, Japanese and bearded iris, old-fashioned roses and other plants, observe painters at work on landscapes "en plein air" from the Andovers Artist Guild, enjoy refreshments and tour the first floor of the Stevens-Coolidge home, which won't open to the public until after Memorial Day.
The event is the estate's biggest fundraiser. It is organized by a dedicated group of about 40 people on the estate's volunteer property committee — roughly 350 volunteer man hours, said Chris Ward, superintendent of the Stevens-Coolidge Place, owned by the nonprofit Trustees of Reservations.
Members from the Andovers Artists Guild will have works for sale and will also be painting that morning, set up on the lawns with canvases and paintbrushes.
"When it comes down to it, especially for folks in the Andovers, you're supporting a property that is really key to the character and quality of life ... Helen Stevens Coolidge had the foresight to leave this property as a gift to the town. She has impacted North Andover in particular. It sort of has that special niche, particularly for the plants from the property for sale. You get to take a piece of the property home with you ... We work very hard to get the best plants possible (for the sale), even the plants that we purchase, most of them our staff hand selects form wholesalers inventory ... and I think you'd be hard-pressed to shop in a more beautiful landscape for plants."
Free self-guided tours of the first floor of the manse will be allowed, even though it won't open to the public until May 31.Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, the Stevens-Coolidge Place was the summer home of diplomat John Gardner Coolidge and his wife, Helen Stevens Coolidge, from 1914 to 1962. The farm had been in Helen's family since 1729.
The estate, on Andover Street not far from North Andover's Old Center, is a hidden gem that local residents might not know about, said Ward.
Ward supervises three properties for the Trustees: Ward Reservation (it's just a coincidence that his last name is Ward, he said), Weir Hill and the Stevens-Coolidge Place in North Andover.
Members of the Trustees of Reservations can also attend a special members-only night on Friday, May 9, to browse the plants before the sale is open to the public. There will be an open bar and appetizers provided, said Ward.
"It's a really nice evening, as much for the atmosphere as for purchasing plants," he said.
Those who would like to join the trustees can visit www.thetrustees.org or just show up to the members-only night on Friday, said Ward, and purchase a membership at the door.
Money raised at the sale goes for specific projects at the estate. In previous years the proceeds have bought historically accurate wallpaper and a new trellis for the perennial garden.
Proceeds from this year's plant sale will go to fabric for some new drapes in a guest room in the estate, as well as the replanting of a border along the wall in the French garden, he said.
The 26th annual Stevens-Coolidge Place plant sale
r Saturday, May 10, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
r The Stevens-Coolidge Place, 139 Andover St. in North Andover (just down from the Old Center)
r Plant preview begins at 9 a.m. before the sale officially opens at 10 a.m. on Saturday
r Admission is free and refreshments will be available
r Come early for the best selection of peonies, Japanese and bearded iris, and old-fashioned roses, as well as trillium and ferns for shady, woodland gardens
r Guided garden tours at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., self-guided tours of The Stevens-Coolidge Place historic house, first floor only, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
r Floral arrangement by the North Andover Garden Club on display and a gardens and landscapes artwork sale hosted by the Andover Artists Guild
r Gardening experts on hand throughout the day to answer your questions on what to plant, and where
The Stevens-Coolidge Place
The gardens and grounds are open daily, year-round, from 8 a.m. to sunset (admission free)
Guided tours of the historic house are offered Saturdays and Sundays 1 to 3 p.m. beginning May 31 and ending October 12. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 children; Trustees members are free.
Formerly known as Ashdale Farm, the Stevens-Coolidge Place was the summer home of John Gardner Coolidge and Helen Stevens Coolidge from 1914 to 1962. Mr. Coolidge, a descendant of Thomas Jefferson and nephew of Isabella Stewart Gardner, was a diplomat. Helen Coolidge devoted herself to preserving and improving Ashdale Farm, which her family had first acquired in 1729 and subsequently farmed for six generations. With her husband's support, she transformed the farm into an elegant agricultural estate that exemplified the gracious country living enjoyed then by wealthy Bostonians.
Between 1914 and 1918, preservation architect Joseph Everett Chandler remodeled the two connected late-Federal period farmhouses. He incorporated dormers, bow windows, and other design elements to increase light, air, and living area, improve views, and augment flow between indoor and outdoor spaces. The house's collections include Chinese porcelain and other Asian artifacts, American furniture, and American and European decorative arts, reflecting the Coolidges' wide-ranging interests and frequent trips abroad.
Chandler also enhanced the design of the landscape, which eventually included a perennial garden, a kitchen and cut flower garden, a rose garden, a French potager garden with a brick serpentine wall, and a greenhouse complex. Intermingling with the formal gardens are rustic elements, including hay fields, an orchard, and extensive woodlands.
Source: www.thetrustees.org
